The United Arab Emirates is trying to rebrand its image by making changes to its ‘antiquated’ legal system

Like many expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australian Frances McGregor thinks Dubai is a modern and glamorous place to call home.

This is a city that boasts the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest shopping mall, a water park just for dogs, and traffic jams comprised entirely of luxury European cars.

It has long sold itself to Westerners as a liberal outpost in the Middle East, where you could wear bikinis on the beach and drink in bars and restaurants.

But for Ms McGregor, the case of a young Filipina waitress who was raped on her way home from work punctured that glittering facade.